NAYLA KHAYATH

“My specialities are singing and playing the guitar, imitating and interpreting all the voices of my characters, from the mouse to the dinosaur, as well as the wolf, witch, pixies, elves…”

Nayla Khayath (65) is a self-taught puppeteer, scriptwriter and composer who also produces puppet plays. “I write stories myself, perform in English and French, and compose the songs, except for those that belong to the classical repertoire of children’s songs from around the world,” she explained.

“My first attempts at puppetry were during my time as an educator with primary school learners at the Notre Dame de Nazareth College,” Khayath who grew up in Hammana and was trained as a “Technicienne supérieure de pédagogie” (Pedagogue and Teacher) at USJ, recalled.  

“Back then, I initiated children into making puppets and to engage with the characters from behind a puppet theatre. Later on, I did the same with my children during birthday and Christmas celebrations.”

“I got into puppetry through short and Christmas stories that I wrote and that were published in Luxemburg in a children’s magazine called ZACK. The aim was to introduce young Luxembourgers to the French language. It made me think that young Lebanese could benefit from this as well but with puppets. This is how my shows came into being.”

“I have never been trained in puppetry nor have I followed a course in this field,” Khayath pointed out.

Besides being affiliated to the society for the protection of animals founded by her father-in-law Albert Khayath and headed by her husband Samy, a well-known actor and comedian, the puppeteer credits the latter for her full induction into the world of theatre: “30 years of theatre with my husband have nurtured a sense for performances.

For her performances, Khayath uses primarily hand puppets. The main protagonists she has created are Tine and Zbib. According to their creator, “they both resemble all children around the world, curious and naughty, and so keen to discover the world that surrounds them.”

More than for education, Khayath uses puppets for therapy. She pointed out that just like adults, children experience and feel fearful and stressed at times. “Puppets allow children to escape and enter a marvellous and magic world where they are their sole masters.”   

Asked whether she faced challenges working with puppets in Lebanon as a woman, Khayath asserted that: “for me, as a woman, puppets allow me to share my passion for nature and animals with children and to make them happy and to teach them to respect all that surrounds us.”

She furthermore added that she relied solely on herself and benefitted from the full support of Planète de la découverte (Planet Discovery), where she has been working for 19 years.

Lebanon has a small but vibrant puppetry scene, which is made up of more women than men! This is why we thought that women puppeteers should be celebrated on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 March and the up-coming International Puppetry Day on 21 March.
Our sample of 10 women working in the field of puppetry each shared their professional trajectory, gave insight into focus of their work, their passions and views on puppetry in Lebanon.
The women puppeteers provide insight into the medley of traditions and styles that have infused the Lebanese scene, the wide array of contexts and purposes in which puppets are being used, created and performed. Not surprisingly they are a reflection of the magic and versatility of the medium – and Lebanon’s diversity. 

Discover Women Puppeteers in Lebanon – A series showcasing several artists

Compiled by Nathalie Rosa Bucher for Les Amis des Marionnettes

March 2017